Halloween Show – The Red Skelton Show season 5, guest star Virginia Grey, originally aired November 1, 1955
In “Halloween Show”, Willie Lump-Lump’s wife (Virginia Grey) relates the story of how she first got Willie intoxicated, in order to get him to propose! And now, she’s hired someone to build the topsy-turvy room to scare him sober!
Dancing witches opening number
Halloween Show begins with a dance number, with eight cute witches (The Redettes). They sing and dance a short number about the special Halloween Show. Other than the Halloween topic, it’s not really related to the rest of the show. It ends with a pun about the “Red Skeleton Show, ghost-to-ghost”.
Red Skelton’s opening Monologue
- I’m glad Halloween is over, in a way. I don’t know, it seemed like television has sort of changed Halloween. 365 days of the year, now, kids run around, they dress like Hopalong Cassidy, Superman, Space Patrol, and Davy Crockett and everything. Last night, Valentina and Richard put on their Sunday clothes and went out to a party, and nobody recognized them.
- So Halloween’s a lot of fun, though. I mean, I remember when I was a little kid, I was so ugly and my mother was so poor she couldn’t buy a pumpkin, so she used to hold me up at the window. She used to hold my brother up there. Now she made a pie out of him. … That’s the last time I ever take a joke from Peter Lorre.
- Anyhow, we used to play all kinds of games, like Post Office. I would play Post Office, and I never got to lick a stamp, you know. We’d play a thing like Heavy, Heavy, Hang over your Head. Someone hung a chair over mine one night. Another night we played Puss in the Corner. Some guy hit me in the puss, and I laid in the corner for about three days.
Bobbing for apples
“It used to be fun to bob for apples, you know. My uncle used to have his own method. He’d bob for apples, only he’d use gin and come up with olives.”
Red then demonstrates how different people bob for apples, after three lovely young ladies push a table, with apple bobbing tank with a glass bottom, so the audience can see Red’s face. “CBS: the only place where peaches bring out apples.”
Willie Lump Lump’s origin
Willie Lump Lump’s wife (Virginia Grey) has hired a carpenter to do a “Halloween prank”. She feels she needs to teach her husband a lesson, and it all began a year ago last Halloween, before they were married …
And so, the origin of Willie Lump Lump is told in flashback. Previously, he never drank! But, his then-girlfriend (and her mother) thought he was a little slow at proposing …. So, she and her mother have spiked the chocolates with booze! Hoping that a little “lubrication” will help the shy Willie to finally propose. A very funny sketch!
where everything is 90 degrees off
But, a year later, Willie’s too fond of alcohol, so his now-wife has hired the carpenter to create the famous “topsy Turvey” room. She hopes to frighten him out of drinking …. But, it’s doomed to failure.
Cast of characters in Halloween Show
- Red Skelton … Host / Willie Lump Lump
- Virginia Grey (Whistling in the Dark) … Nancy Lump Lump
- Ray Kellogg … Mr. Martin – the Carpenter
- Irene Tedrow (Empire of the Ants) … Mrs. Anderson – Nancy’s Mother
Funny quotes from Halloween Show
Nancy Anderson (Virginia Grey): [about her Halloween costume] I don’t know, it hugs me kind of tight around the waist.
Mrs. Anderson: Well, don’t complain. It’s more than that boyfriend of yours will do tonight.
Nancy Anderson: How would you like a drink?
Willie Lump Lump: Hey, a glass of milk would be good right now.
Nancy Anderson: Oh, I was thinking of maybe something a little stronger.
Willie Lump Lump: All right, put a little chocolate in mine.
Nancy Anderson: I meant something that would warm you up a little, something like cider.
Willie Lump Lump: Cider …? Apple cider? Lips that have touched fermented fruit will never rest upon this snoot!
Mrs. Anderson: Rum-filled candy.
Nancy Anderson: You mean there’s real rum in this?
Mrs. Anderson: Yeah, 100 proof! That’s how I landed your father.
Willie Lump Lump: [having been eating the rum-filled candy] You know, this must be beauty candy. The more I eat of it, the prettier you get.
Nancy Anderson: Have some more!
Nancy Lump Lump: Later, he changed from chocolate-covered rum to bottle covered rum …